Tag: discrimination

Not all access to mental health resources is built equally. And for people of color, access to resources for body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) does not come as easily as you might think or hope. For the most part, even BFRB organizations and groups with a special focus on people of color have gotten a welcome and appreciative reception. People are glad to have a place that recognizes their unique struggles.

While efforts have gone a long way to inform the population about the existence of BFRBs, people with visible marks can be mistaken for having a skin disorder, or a stigmatizing condition such as AIDS. People with dermatillomania can also be stereotyped as unhygenic, based on tropes that people with acne don’t take care of their hygiene or diet. These immediate judgments can have devastating emotional consequences for someone sensitive to the appearance of their skin, causing them to isolate and have an increase of social anxiety (among other possibilities).